Pedro Pascal: Why Audiences Are Calling Their New Celebrity Crush “Daddy Pascal”?

Unless your FYP has completely taken you to the wrong side of TikTok, you will have seen multiple "fan cams", montages and discussions around "Daddy Pedro Pascal". Narcos actor Pedro Pascal has become the latest irresistible celebrity crush with many young social media users jumping on the bandwagon and calling him "Daddy".  

The use of the term "Daddy" to refer to male celebrities or attractive men is a form of slang that has become popular in recent years, particularly on social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram. It is often used as a term of endearment or admiration, with the implication that the person being referred to is attractive and desirable, in a paternal or fatherly way. It is specifically used by young people referring to older male celebrities who could be as old as their own Fathers. 

It is worth noting that the use of the term "Daddy" can be problematic, particularly when it is used in a sexualized or objectifying way. Some people find the term to be inappropriate or offensive, especially when it is used to describe older men or those in positions of power and authority due to the link to parental figures. As with any form of slang or informal language, it is important to consider the context and potential implications of using the term "Daddy" before doing so. Is the person ok with the term, or are you yourself comparing an older male celebrity who you find attractive to your own father?

The rise of "Daddy" as a term referring to an attractive older man is in the similar vein of "Dad Bods" being attractive and "DILFs", men who are Dads that people would like to be intimate with. So it isn't inherently linked to being like the users own father. Instead it is used to indicate an attractive older man who may be someone's Dad or is old enough to be a Dad. 

"Dad bod" is also typically associated with middle-aged men, particularly those who are fathers. It gained popularity in the mid-2010s and has been widely used in popular culture, particularly on social media. 

The phrase has also been the subject of some controversy, with some critics arguing that it reinforces negative stereotypes about men's bodies. Others have defended the term as a light-hearted way of celebrating body positivity and rejecting toxic masculinity.

The use of "Daddy" to refer to celebrities may also be a nod to the power and status that many famous men possess, which can be seen as a form of paternalistic authority which some claim to be an attractive quality. Additionally, some people may use the term "Daddy" as a way of expressing their desire for a strong and protective male figure, perhaps as a response to feelings of insecurity or a desire for comfort and stability. This is possibly one of the reasons Pedro Pascal has been labelled "Daddy" in recent months as his character Joel Miller in The Last Of Us, which projected this latest surge of admiration, is a caring father figure who does everything in his power to protect his daughter Sarah and then close friend Ellie. Many of Pascal's social media fans using the term may find this protective characteristic attractive.

“What’s wrong with people who like an old man like me? I don’t understand. What has happened culturally? Focus on Harry Styles!” - Pedro Pascal (via. Sensacine)

Many middle-aged male celebrities are being referred to as "Daddy" by younger social media users alongside The Last Of Us actor Pedro Pascal who has been nicknamed in 2023 as "the internet's Daddy" and "Daddy Pascal". Other "Daddys" according to the internet are Stranger Things actor David Harbour, Luther's Idris Elba and Mad Men's Jon Hamm.

Pascal acknowledged the term at the premiere for The Mandalorian Season 3 on Disney+ (in which he also plays the lead) when a Entertainment Tonight asked him to take a look at some tweets by fans who were self-described as "feral" for the actor. It seems as if Pascal is taking the whole thing in his stride as he replied, “I am your cool, slutty Daddy.”

While on The Graham Norton Show in the UK, Pedro Pascal and Ariana DeBose joked about the term saying, "I’m still trying to figure it out. I feel like it changes, there’s ‘zaddy’, there’s ‘daddy’..." De Bose replied with, “’Zaddy’? OK. That’s, like, very ‘silver foxy’, it’s a kind of air about you.” The "Z" in "Zaddy" may be a nod to the person's status as a particularly cool or "zen" version of a "daddy."

Pedro Pascal also played on the term during his Saturday Night Live guest host spot. But, is it right for young audiences to be referring to a grown man as their Daddy in an overtly sexual way? Caitlin Dewey clarifies in an article for The Washington Post that, "It definitely doesn’t mean “father.” Let’s get that out up front.... You probably wouldn’t “daddy”/”mom” someone you didn’t find attractive." Dewey goes on to say that the term may be linked to the phrase "Daddy Issues".

Justin Kirkland in Esquire links it to the phrases, "Leather Daddy" and "Sugar Daddy".

Whatever its origins, the term itself is problematic - it can be seen as objectifying a person because of their looks. In one instance at the Mandalorian Season 3 premiere, Pedro Pascal is asked by Access to read out a selection of "thirst tweets" written about him, aka overtly sexual tweets written by fans. He took a look at the journalist's examples, smirked and said no. Many Twitter users praised Pascal for dismissing the request claiming that things had gone too far in terms of journalistic ethics. 

One female fan writes, "Can you fucking imagine approaching Margot Robbie the way people approach this guy?" exposing the double standard at play here. The same Twitter user goes on to say "100%. I understand thirsting amongst your friends or on your social media, but directly approaching a human being and saying that kind of shit TO THEM is wild".

A male journalist comments on Twitter, "Can we stop normalizing the open sexual harassment of Pedro Pascal by the ladies at Access Hollywood and Entertainment Tonight?"

The content machine on social media can be relentless as so many outlets are fighting to get the best angle of the same story and post an innovative interview on social media that will get shared thousands of times. "Sexy" tweets read out by the most talked about actor of the moment is the perfect formula for millions of TikTok views but perhaps reporters should take a moment to ask themselves whether their killer idea for engagement is really a good idea ethically. It is almost as if chasing the views causes writers to momentarily forget that celebrities are real people as the excitement of "winning" the battle for views directly effects them more.

It is a hard one to judge when actors like Pedro Pascal have willingly participated in previous interviews on TV or online with similar features and questions however it does depend on the situation, how comfortable the celebrity is with the interview and interviewer and how they feel on the day. A quick fire interview on a red carpet with a new face is maybe not the place, but a pre-arranged sit down YouTube segment with a journalist they've previously spoken to maybe is. Perhaps after multiple interviews not discussing their production or work on set, it can become grating to hear "please can you just read this out so we can get views". 

It's definitely more of a clear cut line when it comes to what is acceptable and what isn't for fans of a celebrity. Sometimes social media users can quietly share their lustful thoughts in their own circles and discuss their admiration but when it is taken into a different arena by journalists that's when things can seem a tad out of control. Sharing people's online posts in a public space and then with the person they are discussing takes them out of context. Everyone who has put their name into the public arena has received unwanted comments both good and bad but they do not want to be shown them with their reaction filmed. 

As with any form of slang or informal language, it is important to consider the context and potential implications of using the term before doing so. Ultimately, it is up to individuals to decide for themselves whether or not they are comfortable with using the term "Daddy" and to respect others' boundaries and preferences when it comes to language and terminology especially when you have the privilege of interviewing celebrities caught up in a media frenzy.

What do you think about the term "Daddy"? Do you think it is fine for fans and journalists to use?

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